One Thousand Paper Cranes
by Il Cielo Piove delle Stelle
Summary: Ghandi once said "Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth." But what if it's the truth I'm running from? My name is Ria, and this is the story of my everlasting hell. And, to make matters worse, I'm dragging the Cullens down with me. Cullens/OC.
1. Chapter 1

"_Truth is by nature self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it, it shines clear._"  
-Mohandas Gandhi

* * *

Volterra was crowded midday. People scurried along the narrow, slanted streets and merchants leaned over the counters of their stands, shoving items at passersby with convincing persuasions. The sun beat down on the small, clustered city. Rarely, cars would slowly creep along the streets, having to wait for the citizens to make a path large enough to pass through.

One citizen was rushing down the hillside, sporting roller blades, long bell-bottom jeans, a sweater, gloves, a scarf, and a large, floppy hat. None of her skin met the sunlight, and the bystanders who had to jump out of her way as she sped down found that utterly confusing and unreasonable. It was nearly eighty nine degrees, for God's sake! But the girl didn't seem to appose to the heat, for she sped on, not stopping. She didn't stop when someone didn't move in time- she simply swerved around them gracefully. She had a credit card hanging out of her pocket, which she shoved back in whenever it hung out too far. It was the only thing she was carrying.

She reached an airport a few towns away in a single day. People had already begun talking about "the girl with the rollerblades". Everyone had seen her flying by on her wheeled shoes, no sign of slowing down, not even for cars. She would simply jump up, skid on the roof, and land –slightly shakily- on the other side. She would still keep going. Once she reached the airport, she slowed. She went at a walking pace through the airport, and reached a random gate. She rolled across the carpets, ignoring the curious, disapproving glances, and stopped by the ticket counter. She was right in front of the gate, and she turned to the man. He held his hand out for her ticket, raising an eyebrow. She slid the scarf off her neck and removed her hat, revealing the most beautiful face the man had ever seen.

Silky, ebony hair tumbled out from underneath the hat, waving down to her waist. Icy blue eyes bored into the man's green ones. Her slim, red lips streatched into a soft smile, and she cocked her head to the side. "Hello," She breathed, her voice sounding more appealing than wedding bells.

"T-ticket, please, ma'am," replied the man in a shakey voice, feeling hypnotized by her. She nodded, smiling warmly. Maybe a little too warm- his heart melted.

She reached into her pocket, and suddenly, her face was covered in shock. She searched her pockets some more, and looked up in distress. "Someone stole my ticket!"

Undoubtedly, he believed her. "Oh, no. That's not good. You need a ticket to get on... But..." He trailed off at the expression on the girl's face. She looked about ready to cry.

"I have to get on this plane!" She insisted helplessly. "My mother is in Forks, Washington. She's dying! Please, kind sir. Please let me board this plane."

After a pause, he let out a breath and nodded. "Okay. I will. Give my regards to your mother. Have a nice trip."

The girl planted a smooth kiss on his cheek and flitted aboard the plane. She heard a thud as the man feinted and her innocent expression morphed into a smirk. "Too easy." That was the only thing she said. She sat in the first isle. She still had her roller blades on. She wrapped her scarf around her neck again, and bunched all of her hair up under the hat. She looked back on recent events.

This girl's name was Ria. She was running- away from the most dangerous group of vampires you could muster. The Voultri. A merciless group of vampires that might as well have been reincarnations of satan himself. Frightening, really.

They had blackmailed Ria into staying with the Voultri. If she didn't, they would find her human sister and kill her slowly, making Ria watch. Ria hadn't wanted to involve her sister in the first place, but the Voultri had given her no choice. As the months had passed, a sneaking suspicion has rose in her chest. What if they killed her, anyway? She couldn't have that, now, could she?

So she did the only sensable thing. She escaped. She escaped from them and was on her way to Forks, Washington where her sister was living. Hopefully, she was safe.

She knew the plane was over Forks before anyone said so. Her nerves were shaking and her eyes were darting this way and that. She felt all but comfertable on planes. However, unless she wanted to swim –which, looking back, would have been much easier- she had to deal.

As soon as she rolled off the plane –which got more than a few questioning glances from the americans- she sped out into the parking lot. The air hit her like a wrecking ball- cold and bitter. Slowing in slight shock, she took it all in. The amount of trees, the bruised sky, the sub-zero wind, and the lack of sun were not common in Volterra. Not that she opposed. It was actually quite refreshing.

She'd been going at human pace the whole time, as to not attrack attention and suspicion. However, the vast amount of trees in the area was a convinience to her. Unstrapping her roller blades, she grasped them firmly and felt the odd sensation of soot and soaked leaves under her feet as she stepped into the forest. It must've recently rained.

She broke into a slow-paced run before really pressing on the speed. The cold air kissed her exposed skin –she'd taken her scarf, gloves, and hat off by then, and had tucked them in her left roller blade.

Ria had been in Forks once before. She'd been dropping off her sister. It was years ago, and Ria only just remembered it. The rain had been pouring and the night had been young. No one was along the streets, and Ria was in pursuit of a certain orphanage. She'd wrapped her sister tighter in the blanket and stared coldly at the orphanage. It was two blocks down, yet large. Visible. The bricks weren't faded in the slightest- they actually looked as if paint had just been coated on. The windows were dark, with the exception of the two on either side of the front door. It was large, and oak, with an unsullied brass knob. Ria had moved forward, almost hesitantly, and placed the sleeping bundle that was curled up lovingly in her arms on the doorstep. She knocked hard, loud, five times. Without hesitating, she ran. She didn't look back to see if they'd answered. She couldn't bear it if she'd seen they didn't, and she wouldn't be able to keep going if she'd seen them open the door and scoop her up. It was the most painful thing in the world.

And there it was. In broad daylight, it seemed almost welcoming. But an orphanage was never welcoming- not in the slightest. Taking in a large, unneeded gulp of air, Ria set forward.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't._" –**Mark Twain **

* * *

It was a hallmark moment. A young girl stood in the orphanage doorway, her clutches on the old woman next to her loosening. Her eyes were wide and her arms were thrown out, and she lunged at the teen in front of her.

"It's you!" She cried. "You! You're...!" She couldn't remember.

"Sister," the teen supplied. "I'm your sister, Ryuu. You remember. Don't you?" The teen in front of the small child was smiling down at her, stroking her hair. "Ria. Remember?"

"Ria..." She gasped. "Ria!" Once again, she repeated "It's you!"

Ria nodded, giggling quietly. It was her, indeed. She was overjoyed her sister remembered her. And so quickly, too! Her sister was nearly the spitting image of Ria, with long, ebony hair and taller than most girls her age. She did not look anything like Ria in skin color or eye color, however. Ria had eyes the color of melted gold. Her skin was not as sunkissed as her sister's own, but it wasn't that far off. Ria was only happy to see her sister... in one piece.

"Excuse me," the old woman cut in gently. She smiled apologetically at Ria. "You need to sign a few papers to take her home, miss."

"Yes, I know," Ria resisted the urge to scoff. Of course she knew that. Who didn't? What was the point of coming unprepared? To look unprofessional, perhaps. But that wasn't what Ria was shooting for. "Can we get started, then? I want to leave soon."

"As soon as you're ready." The old woman gestured inside, and Ria gradually followed. She turned to Ryuu and smiled, telling her to go pack her stuff. She noticed a few kids peeping in the doorway, seeing who was picking Ryuu up. They hid the best they could when Ria looked their way. The woman turned to Ria with a thin folder. With a warm smile, she chirped "Here you go, dear."

Ria filled out the paperwork early, lying here and there. Birthtown? Montgomery, Alabama. Was that true? Of course not. Ria couldn't remember where she was born. She was vampirized two years ago, and was the same age she was now. Eighteen. It'd been three and a half years since she'd dropped Ryuu off at the orphanage, and even then Ryuu was only four. She was about eight years old, now. Ria felt guilt sweep through her system for missing her sister's birthdays. Heading up to Ryuu's room, Ria found her sitting on the bed, staring at the wall.

"Ryuu? Are you okay?" She knew it must be hard, parting with the people who cared for her. But Ryuu grinned at Ria so unexpectedly, Ria jumped.

"I can't wait to get out of here." She sighed, smiling. She hopped off the bed and skipped to Ria, grasping her larger hand in her own small one. She grinned up at Ria. "I knew you'd come back for me, I did!"

If Ria could cry, she would've.

* * *

"So where _is_ your house?" Ryuu inquired. She'd been asking questions ever since they'd gotten into the car. Somehow, the whir of the motor soothed Ria's nerves. "Is it big? I bet it's big. Do you have a pet? Like a dog? I've always wanted a puppy."

"No cats?"

"Nope! Cats are boring."

Ria smiled slightly. They pulled up on the curb of a hotel, and Ryuu was extremely confused.

"What are we doing here?" She asked curiously as Ria walked into the hotel, holding her hand.

"It's a rest stop." She lied smoothly. "We need to stop to sleep." Ryuu believed every word. Ria was suddenly appalled at herself for lying to her own sister. Was that what she'd become? Apparantly so.

They rented a hotel room for three nights, giving Ria enough time to find and buy a home. Ryuu was even more confused when hearing they'd be staying for three nights. ("A three night rest stop...? Why? Why? Where's your house?")

When Ryuu had finally settled into sleep, Ria slipped out, locking the hotel door and closing the window tightly.

* * *

It was easier than she thought, buying a house in the dead of the night. Sure, it was on the outside of town. Sure, it was beautiful yet old. Sure, it had no furniture. But oh well. Ria would think of something. She reached the hotel at six thirty seven and was surprised to see Ryuu's bed empty. She quickly climbed in, silently shutting the window behind her. She listened for a few seconds and realized there was a beating heart and breathing. Ryuu's heart. A small giggle came from the main room of the hotel suite and Ria discovered Ryuu sitting on the couch, watching a television show. It looked silly and rediculous, but Ria couldn't think of anything else an eight-year-old would watch.

"You're up early." Ria remarked, and Ryuu jumped. Her head whipped around to look at Ria in surprise.

"Oh, hi!" Ryuu frowned slightly. "I woke up and you weren't there."

"Oh, I was just downstairs cutting our stay. We'll be leaving in about an hour. You should take a bath after I take my shower. Okay?"

"Sure!" Ryuu smiled brightly, turning back to the television and finishing her cereal. She dropped it in the sink and skipped all the way to the bathroom.

* * *

It wasn't large, or beautiful, or anything magnificent. It was simply a cottage- maybe a bit like a small villa, but again, nothing much. Irregular stones festooned the exterior walls and a large, oak wood door was highlighted by a small, brass knob. The driveway was gravel, all the way down the road that led down the mountain they were housed on. The roof's shingles were light brown, flecked with black in some spots. Ria didn't know wether that was natural or the design.

The inside wasn't anything much, either. Wood panneled flooring, pasty white walls, and few windows. Two per room, at the most. There wasn't any furniture, but Ryuu didn't seem to notice that. She flung herself inside and twirled around the wood floor, her socks allowing her to spin like a ballerina. That's exactly what she was trying to do.

"I'm a dancer!" She giggled, tilting her head back to look at the colorless ceiling of the living room. She smiled suddenly, brighter than a flare.

Ria took Ryuu's momentary distraction as a chance to think about how she'd break the news to her. Ria had enrolled Ryuu in school once they'd gotten to the hotel, and since Ria was only eight, she'd be in second grade. There was a nice little Elementary School near Forks High School, so that was convinient. Ria had an inkling that if she blended with the students and made herself look inconspicious, the Voultri would leave her as is. Maybe. It was iffy, but it wasn't completely insane, either.

"Ria? Where's the furniture?"

Oh, boy.

"About that..." Ria bit her lip, thinking quickly. In less than a second she'd come up with an excuse. It struck her she was about to lie to her sister _again_. "I had the house cleaned for your arrival, so the furniture had to be removed for them to clean it throughly. But let's not worry about that, huh? Guess what?"

"What?" Ryuu caught the excited tone in Ria's last sentence and looked anxious. "What is it?"

"I enrolled you in school!" said Ria enthusiastically. Ryuu blinked, and for a second Ria thought she wouldn't want to, but she broke out into a large grin.

"Really?" She pressed, jumping over to Ria and clasping her hand in a vice-like grip. "Really?"

"Really, really." Ria nodded, smiling as Ryuu cheered happily.

"I've always wanted to go to school!" She paused. "Well, we had one at the orphanage, but it wasn't as fun as going to school everyday. This is great!"

"You start going on Wednesday. I'll take you over on Monday to get the forms filled out. How's that sound, kiddo?" Monday was the next day, so Ria needed to make up a story about their parents. Quick.

"Sounds great!" Ryuu nodded dynamically.

Ria smiled, and she went over to a closet so plain Ryuu hadn't noticed it until Ria opened it. She pulled out two square shaped bags and placed them on the floor. She pulled out two blankets and two pillows, then reached back in the closet and pulled out a pump. Next, she pulled two plastic-looking fabrics out and plugged the pump into one, then began to push air into it. In no time, there was a large, inflaitable bed in the place of the odd fabric. Ria put a blanket over in then placed the pillow near the top of the bed. She did the same with the other one.

"There," She smiled, "bed's made. You want to hit the hay? It's been a long day."

"Yes! I can't wait for tomorrow!"

As Ryuu drifted into sleep, Ria smiled, lying with her eyes wide open. "I can't either, kiddo." She whispered, placing a soft kiss on Ryuu's forehead.


End file.
